Interlocking rail connection and crossing.



. Patented May l4, 190i. x H. B. NICHOLS; INTEBLDCKI'NG RAIL CONNECTIONAND CROSSING.

2 Shee'ts-Sheat (Application filed Mar. 29, 1901.)

(No Modal.)

mmwowz uuRRls PETER$ c0. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, v.1:

No. 674,l75 Patented May l4, I90l.

H. B. NICHOLS. INT EBLOCKING RAIL CONNECTION AND CROSSING.

(Application filed Mar. 29, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Modei.)

UrTED STATE PAENT Fries.

HENRY B. NICHOLS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

INTERLOCKING RAIL CONN ECTION AND CROSSING.

$PECIFIQATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 674,175, dated May 14,1901.

Application filed March 29. 1901. Serial No. 53,418. (No model T0 orwhom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY B. NICHOLS, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at the I city of Philadelphia, in the countyof Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Interlocking Rail Connections and Crossings, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to a connection or a crossing formed betweenmeeting or intersecting rails either of a street-railway with asteam-railroad rail or between two streetrailway rails; and in suchconnection it relates more particularly to the construction andarrangement of the connection or crossing.-

In connections and crossings of the type to which my invention appliesone part of the crossing or connection is formed of main railsectionscontinuous from end to end and having the upper face or head grooved orchanneled not only for the passage of the flange of the wheel over therail-section, but also grooved or channeled atan angle to the firstgroove or channel to permit of the flange of the wheel travelingdiagonally or at right angles over the head of the main sections. Inconjunction with these main rail-sections additional crossing or meetingsections are used to serve as continuations of the track which is tomerge into or cross the main rail-sec tions. The manner of connecting orinterlocking the crossing or meeting rail-sections with the mainrail-sections constitutes the invention of the present application.

The nature and scope of my invention will be more fully understood-fromthe following description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, forming part hereof,

in which Figure l is a top or plan View of a railwaycrossing embodyingmain features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, enlarged,of the meeting end of a crossing railsection disconnected from thecrossing. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3 3 ofFig. 1, but with the crossing parts removed. Fig. 4 is an enlargedsectional view taken on the line at 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlargedlongitudinal sectional view taken on the line 5 5-of Fig. 1; and Fig.6-is an enlarged top or plan View of one of the corners of thecrossing,with portions broken away to more clearly illustrate theconnection. 1

In the drawings the invention is illustrated as applied to a crossingformed between steam-railroad rails and street-railway rails. It iswithin the spirit and intention of my invention to use the same inconjunction with crossings and rail connections of all kindsin which onerail approaches or crosses another at an angle.

Referring now to the drawings, a, a represent the main rail-sections,which in the form shown are continuations of steam -railway rails at.These main rail-sections a a have enlarged heads, in which are formedthe longitudinally-arranged grooves 03, in which the flange of the wheeltravels as the wheel travels along the sections a a. The heads also havethe grooves of at an angle to the grooves (1 and forming continuationsfor the travel of a wheel from the crossing rail-sections 1) across thehead of the rail-sections a a. The rail-sections b (six in number) haveat the end adjacent to the main section a, to which it is to be secured,a plate (9, extending in the form illustrated in the drawings at rightangles to the head, web, and base of the rail 1). On that face of theplate I) which is to rest adjacent to the main rail-section a is formeda dovetailed projection or rib b adapted to slide in acorrespondingly-formed recess or channel a in the side of the main raila. The plate I) is so formed on the section b that when its rib orprojection b fits into the channel a of the rail a there is a spaceformed between the parts of the plate 6 and the adjacent and surroundingparts of the rail a, except that at the part b of the plate I), in whichthe groove 6 of the rail 1) extends, the plate I) is extended into ablock to fit flush against the head of the rail 0!, and to serve as acontinuation or extension connecting the cross-groove a with the grooveb of the rail b, as illustrated in Fig. 6. Into the space whichotherwise separates the plate b from the rail a a metal of lowermeltingpoint is adapted to be poured, which metal forms a key or bed dbetween the interlocking parts of the railsa and b. To center thedovetailed projection or rib Win the channel a there is formed on theprojection or rib 12 on either side of the central line of said plateI), one or more buttons 11 which are adapted to rest on the rail ctwithin the channel a By filing one or the other of these buttons 19 downtrue parallelism between the plate I) and the rail (1 may be securedprior to the pouring in and setting of the metal key or bed (1. When theparts of the rails a and b are in operative connection, there is formedbetween the rails an interlocking connection which does not require theuse of bolts traversing the webs or connecting parts. The joint isstrong, easily made, and easily separated. The key or filler cl when theparts are to be separated can be readily melted without injuriouslyaffecting the adjacent parts of the connecting rails. The key or filler(Z does not fuse or weld with either the rail a or plate I). Wherefrogs, switchinates, or other angular connections are to be made, theplate I) will extend from the rail 1) at the required angle, so as toreadily enter the channel of the adjacent rail-section a, and yet permitthe rail b to make the connection with the rail a at the required angle.

Having thus described the nature and object of my invention, what Iclaim as new, and

desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an interlocking rail connection or crossing, a main rail havingits side longitudinally channeled, a connecting rail, a plate formed onthe meeting end of said connecting rail and extending at an anglethereto, and a projection formed on said plate adapted to enter and tointerlock with the channeled side of the main rail, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

2. In an interlocking rail connection or crossing, a main rail havingits side longitudinally channeled and at its head transversely groovedto receive the flange of the crossing wheel, a connecting rail having inits head a groove adapted to form a continuation of the transversegroove of the main rail, a plate formed on the meeting end of saidconnecting rail and extending at an angle thereto, a grooved blockformed on said plate and forming a continuation for the groove of theconnecting and main rails, said block adapted to fit liush against thehead of the main rail, a projection or rib formed on the plate andadapted to loosely enter and interlock with the channeled side of themain rail, and a metallic key or bed adapted to be inserted in the spacebetween the rib and channel of the main rail, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

3. In an interlocking rail connection or crossing, a connecting rail, aplate extending at an angle to the connecting rail and formed at themeeting end of said rail, a dovetailed projection formed on said plate,a main rail having its side complementally channeled to receive saidprojection, and a metal key or bed adapted to interlock the projectionon the connecting rail with the channeled side of the main rail,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

HENRY B. N ICIIOLS.

Witnesses:

J. WALTER DOUGLASS, THOMAS M. SMITH.

J i I I

